The Olive Press Costa Blanca South and Murcia 80

EXCLUSIVE

A PRIVATE investigator who worked with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is chasing ‘a significant lead’ in the missing Levi Davis case.

Investigator Gavin Burrows volunteered to help track down the former X-Factor star and sent a team of detectives from his firm, Line of Inquiry, to Barcelona. His 12 agents have been working on rotation around the clock scouring the streets.

Odd

“We have a number of leads but one could be really significant we are following up,” Burrows, who has also worked with Elton John, told the Olive Press.

“This is an odd case. He must have spoken to somebody when he came to Barcelona or arranged to meet somebody but that person has never come forward.”

The 24-year-old Brit, who played rugby union for Bath, went missing on October 29 and has not been heard from since.

The

O P LIVE RESS

CHRISTMAS CHEER

A BRITISH Good Samaritan may have saved the life of an elderly homeless man living with his dog in a freezing Civil War bunker.

Retired policeman Derek Hepple, 80, came to the rescue of the Czech man, known as George, and his dog, Boba, a month ago.

Derek, who lives by Santa Pola’s Tamarit beach, came across the 71-year-old on one of his daily coastline walks.

Concerned about his safety as the weather deteriorated, he explored ways to help within the community.

Now, after an urgent two-week search, he has managed to get George a bed at

Elche Hospital, while his Portuguese Waterdog pet is being cared for by members of the Barkingside charity.

“Nobody this old should be living like this, especially with the cold nights drawing in,” Derek told the Olive Press.

“I hope he can find himself a permanent home in the new year.”

Derek, who has a background of animal charity fundraising in his native North-East England, had been helping a group of abandoned cats close to George’s shelter for five years.

denly peeked out from underneath some blankets in the concrete bunker, which is like an igloo around 12 feet in diameter.

Alex Trelinski SAFE: Derek (left) hands Boba to charity helpers

It was on one of his regular 5am feeding visits so as not to attract the wrath of neighbours, that he came across the Czech man.

While the language was quite a barrier, he got talking to him and discovered how he had been living in the area for some time, although police occasionally moved him on.

“I went straight back to my nearby apartment and returned with sandwiches and coffee for George, plus some dog food for Boba,” he explained.

ALL YOUR LEGAL ISSUES DEALT WITH! La Marquesa Commercial

He explained how he got a shock when a head sud-

“Since then I made sure to make daily visits to feed both of them,” added Derek.

Meanwhile, Another former policeman, Richard Sparrow, provided a sleeping bag, while a Spaniard named Paco brought in some extra food.

Despite living off just an old age pension, Derek’s generosity stretched to bringing new socks, a scarf, a hoodie, and a hat.

“I had to do something because what he was wear-

ing was soiled and wet,” he explained. But he also knew providing help was not going to solve the problem and he contacted Santa Pola’s social services.

Finally, council worker Marga Salmeron met with Derek to check out George’s living conditions.

“She was appalled and phoned a doctor before an ambulance arrived to take him to hospital,” Derek said.

Boba had apparently vanished but thankfully was found on the beach a few days later.

“He’s now in an animal sanctuary run by a friend of mine.”

Meanwhile, he picked up his belongings and gave some of the clothes, including his precious Parka, a wash.

“All’s well that ends well I hope and I’m really pleased that it’s all come good after nearly a month, thanks to Marga,” exclaimed Derek, who went through a major operation in September and is still recovering.

Brit gives lifeline to homeless septuagenarian expat and his dog as he shivers in winter storms

Centre, Office 4C, Ciudad Quesada, Rojales 03170 tel: 966 943 219 www.mylawyerinspain.com

XMAS NIBS

King’s gift

THE King is bringing an early Christmas present to commuters on the Alicante to Murcia line.

Felipe VI will inaugurate the new Madrid to Murcia high speed line on Monday that will include eight high speed trains a day to Murcia via Alicante (six a day at weekends) making the journey time just over 50 minutes.

Safe holiday

A COACHLOAD of Ukrainian children have arrived in the Valencian Community to spend a safe six-week Christmas break with local families.

The 54 youngsters aged between 6 and 12 made the long trip after leaving communities in Ivankiv and Kharkiv.

Magi mail

THREE special Correos postboxes have appeared in Alicante for children to send letters requesting presents from the Three Kings. The boxes are in the Plaza de Gabriel Miro, Bono Guarner, and Virgen del Rosario areas and stay active until January 5.

A BRITISH expat is pleading for help after waiting nearly six years to get his Spanish pension.

The 70-year-old faces bankruptcy and potential homelessness in the new year if the authorities don’t step in and help.

It comes after Jerry Wayne was turned down by Spain’s Social Security department despite paying tax for 35 years here.

Describing it as a ‘nightmare’, he told the Olive Press: “I have worked here for well over three decades and paid my taxes, I've done everything in line with the law yet here I am being forced to deal with this awful ongoing saga.”

He added: “I’ve only got enough money to see me through to February. I really fear for the future.”

The former hotel manager, based in Marbella, continued: “I’ve probably paid over half a million euros to the state in tax while working here. And this is how they treat me.”

Having studied hotel management, he launched his own consultancy business in the UK.

Nightmare at Christmas

Expat denied pension despite paying ‘over half a million euros’ in tax over three decades

EXCLUSIVE

By Anthony Piovesan

As well as working with fivestar hotels, he also ran his own restaurants.

“I have been involved in hotels, restaurants, golf clubs and generally the finer things of life that this wonderful country has to offer,” explained Wayne.

His problems began though as he approached his 65th birthday in 2017 when he got a gestor to help him apply for his pension.

But due to a technicality, in

Light of my life

which he allegedly owed a few thousand euros in unpaid autonomo (self employed) payments, his claim was denied.

Despite then getting a lawyer involved, he still has not received a penny five years on. “I’m desperate and really hope a campaigning paper like yours can somehow help to get what’s rightfully mine,” he pleaded.

While reaching out to the authorities we have found other expat pensioners in a similar position and plan to launch a campaign in the new year.

One, Chris Scott, based in Valencia, has been fighting a sim-

MORE than 2.6 million energy efficient LED bulbs have been used with over 2,000 lit arches, garlands, lampposts, and trees adorning over a hundred streets and squares in Alicante. There are two centrepieces this year - namely the traditional 18-metre tall fully-lit Christmas tree in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and a new giant bauble which is said to be the biggest in Spain.

ilar battle for over two years. The British consulate explained this week that expats struggling to claim their Spanish pension needed to ‘deal directly’ with the social security office.

However, organisation Brexpats in Spain pledged to help as best it could.

Horror

Its founder Anne Hernandez, added: “It sounds like a horror story, we will put this out to our members to see if anyone else can help.”

Spain’s Ministry of Social Security has been contacted for comment on various occasions, with no reply.

Please contact newsdesk@ theolivepress.es if you are in a similar situation

*Names have been changed as the victims do not want to prejudice their ongoing claims with Social Security.

Opinion Page 6

TORREVIEJA council will host the city’s first-ever official outdoor party to see in the New Year.

The Plaza de la Constitucion is traditionally a focal point on New Year’s Eve night for people to gather to hear the midnight chimes echo out from the Church of the Immaculate Conception.

Entertainment over the years has always been self-generated such as a few fireworks being let off once the traditional 12 grapes have been quickly consumed.

The council now says it will spend over €87,000 in welcoming 2023 with a DJ providing music from the square’s stage.

A giant screen will do a New Year countdown with a confetti cannon promising to shoot ‘colour’ on the final chime of midnight.

The event will run between 10.30 pm and 1.30 am. Earlier that afternoon, the square will host a series of activities for children, including an artificial snow cannon that will neither ‘wet nor stain’.

Ring in the new Xmas bonus

ALMORADI has launched a €20 Xmas bonus voucher to be spent in local businesses between December 19 and 24. Anybody aged 18 and over on the local padron can apply to get one and need to spend €40 to get a 50% discount.

THE Three Kings are bringing music lovers a real treat this year.

A string of top-name acts is lined up for appearances in Spain, with fans of Blur being given an early Christmas present as they have finally been named as headliners at the massive Primavera Sound festival.

Meanwhile, the Mad Cool festival promises to heat up with Red Hot Chilli Peppers topping the bill in Madrid in July.

No doubt tick ets to two of the hottest music festivals in Spain will be slipped into Santa’s sack or brought by the Three Kings now the news is

ALICANTE clearly loves this time of year because it has the largest nativity scene in the world.

The display on the Esplanade de España, has figures up to 17 metres high, and has been recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest nativity scene in the world.

Baby Jesus is 3.25 metres tall, while his mother Mary is 10 metres tall and Joseph towers over her at 17 metres.

This year there are some new figures in the form of the Magi visiting Jesus, and as in previous years, six giant angels were distributed in the city centre.

ALL I WANT FOR XMAS

By Dilip Kuner

out. While Blur joins a strong lineup at the Madrid and Barcelona Primavera Sounds concerts, which includes Depeche Mode, Kendrick Lamar and Rosalía as headliners, the biggest present is the appearance of the Pet Shop Boys.

They will headline the ‘opening pre-festival concert’ night with a free gig at Barcelona's Parc del Forum. They will then

STROLL THROUGH HISTORY

WHEN it comes to Christmas markets in Spain the variety is plentiful, but you can’t look past Spain’s oldest, the Fira de Santa Llucia in Barcelona.

This beloved market stretches out along Avinguda de la Catedral in the gothic quar ter of the Catalonian capital.

It first sold paper and clay nativity figurines to churchgoers in 1786 and first mention of the market was by Rafael Amat, a Catalan writer in the 18th century.

Amat made reference to a ‘party in the street’, where nativity scenes, images of saints, shepherds, animals and a ‘multi tude of people’ gathered.

drid's Ciudad del Rock de Arganda del Rey from June 8 to 10, with the headliners

A month later Red Hot Chili

The Californian funk-rock legends are joining a string of British legends from July 6 to 8 including Liam Gallagher, Robbie Williiams, Sam Smith

Tasty scene

So British music fans will be hoping Santa brings them nados hope the Los Reyes do the same for them!

WHEN it comes to na tivity scenes, some of Spain’s look good enough to eat. In one case it is quite literally so.

The town of Rute in Cordoba is home to what is said to be the world’s largest edible nativity scene. This year a fantastic ren dition of the Holy Land has been created by seven skilled choco latiers over six months, using nearly one-and-a-half tonnes of chocolate.

Up to 20,000 people are ex pected to turn up to see the huge ‘belen’ which is created each year at Galleros Artesa nos cake and sweet factory. There are also life-sized stat ues of the Spanish Royals and the Pope – all crafted from chocolate.

Green grinches

ENVIRONMENTAL activists failed to get into the Christmas Spirit when they vandalised part of a nativity scene for children with red and black paint.

The Futuro Vegetal group struck in Madrid at El Corte Ingles’s famous ‘Cortylandia’ display, claiming that the department store sells brands that are ‘bringing down the planet’.

OLDEN DAYS: Fair had humble origins

Preventable death Animal concern

THE family of a Mazarron man has been handed €74,000 compensation after he died aged 52 following a two-hour wait for an ambulance.

The Murcian Health Service (SMS) must stump up the money after the Patient Advocate Association took up the family’s complaint.

In the shocking case, the man’s family made seven calls to the 112 emergency number, after he fell ill and had difficulty breathing.

An ambulance eventually arrived but he died soon after arriving at Cartagena’s Santa Lucia hospital.

Solicitor Ignacio Martinez described the incident as ‘disastrous’ and attacked the ‘cold, bureaucratic, and inhumane’ response to the calls.

Out the woodwork

SPAIN’S humbling World Cup defeat to Morocco has seen an alarming number of far right hooligans crawl out to ‘defend the streets of Spain’. A worrying alliance saw usually fierce rivals of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid unite to stop ‘acts of violence by Morocco fans’.

The Ultras Not Reds Telegram channel posted videos of masked thugs marching through Valencia holding a Spain flag with a fascist symbol and singing anti-Muslim songs. “Nationalists of Valencia defended

the city from Moroccan troublemakers, but unfortunately there were too many police for action,” they wrote.

More concrete!

GREEN campaigners have slammed plans to build 954 new homes on one of the final unspoilt stretches of Orihuela Costa.

The Friends of Sierra Escalona (ASE) association de-

scribed the plan as ‘irrational’ and demanded the area be made an ‘ecological corridor’. The land, which borders the Dehesa de Campoamor urbanisation to the north and Pilar de la Horadada to the south, is so far undeveloped. But now, Orihuela Council has put forward proposals for a 159,000 m2 urbanisation at Mil Palmeras.

A developer is scheduled to build the homes in sector ‘B-

Flying high

Massive 1000-home development on unspoilt costa stretch slammed

By Alex Trelinski

1b Mil Palmeras’ despite conditions imposed two years ago by the Environmental Assessment Commission.

ASE president, Miguel Pavon, de-

scribed the apparent approval of the proposal as ‘complete nonsense’.

He said that current environmental zoning rules did not allow further development in the coastal area ‘which is already overcrowded’.

HAND S OFF OUR COSTAS

PASSENGER numbers at Alicante airport were close to pre-pandemic levels in November.

Some 905,852 people used it, which is 97% of the November 2019 total.

The UK dominated with 319,832 travellers, followed by 70,489 from the Netherlands.

So far this year, the airport has registered 12.35 million passengers, or 87.2% on 2019.

ASE is now demanding the council reclassify the contentious sector as an ‘ecological corridor’ between the protected Sierra Escalona and the sea.

Flora and fauna in the area includes the endangered Cathead Jarilla plant.

Opponents have up to 45 days of to make any comments.

THE Valencian Community received 15,000 emergency calls about animal welfare up to October this year.

Many of the reports (54%) concerned abused, injured or abandoned pets.

A fifth involved protected animal species either injured or trapped.

Another fifth concerned bee and wasp nests while the rest involved sightings of marine animals, illegal hunting and fishing, as well as pollution threats.

Ex-king’s court win

A TRIO of judges at London’s Appeal Court have ruled the former mistress of ex-king Juan Carlos cannot sue him for harassment during his time as monarch.

They ruled that the former monarch, 84, was 'immune from jurisdiction' in England until his abdication in 2014.

Though good news for the Spanish royal, the ruling still means that his ex-lover Corinna Larsen can continue her civil action against him after he relinquished the throne.

The king's former mistress, who lives in England, wants an ‘injunction and damages’ due to ‘a continuous and ongoing campaign of harassment’.

in Spain

Christmasangels

Charity starts at home

CHRISTMAS is a time for charity. And we know how many readers go out of their way to help others less fortunate than themselves.

On these pages are some shining examples of organisations which have gone well beyond the call of duty to do their bit - and thanks to dedicated teams of volunteers they provide vital assistance every day of the year, including Christmas.

Each and every one of the people who help and support these charities deserve (but don’t ask for) our thanks.

But it is important to recognise that charity very much starts at home. This is why we are so impressed by the actions of retired British policeman Derek Hepple.

As a true animal-lover he has for years taken it upon himself to care for a colony of cats.

But this Christmas he has shown a tenet of simple human kindness by helping a homeless man he discovered living in an old concrete pillbox.

It would have been all too easy to turn a blind eye and think it was someone else’s problem.

Not for Derek though. He provided food and clothes for ‘George’ daily and, despite not speaking Spanish, doggedly sought help for them from the authorities.

Despite initially hitting a brick wall he has finally got George off the streets with the help of Santa Pola council. A remarkable feat getting his town hall mobilised.

This is a true insight into what Christmas should mean. God bless you Derek!

Disgrace

THE two elderly expats we mention on page 2 this issue also need as much help as they can get.

That they are struggling to get their pensions after paying into the Spanish Social Security for many years is a disgrace.

In one case five years have dragged by with no light at the end of the tunnel.

This is a scandal. How can a man who has paid his dues be left hanging with no income for so many years?

And how many other expats are facing the same problem around Spain?

We asked the UK embassy if they could help - and they passed the buck, simply referring us back to Spain’s Social Security, the very organisation that has caused the trouble to start with! It’s no surprise we have had no reply to their plight so far. But we will. Someone needs to listen to these people’s predicaments and do something to help. And they need to do it now.

CHRISTMAS is a special day for most people, but for the Paul Cunningham Nurses Charity it’s just like any other day.

While most people will be tucking into their Christmas turkey and relaxing with family and friends, the team of nurses who look after terminally ill patients will be in other people’s homes.

They will continue to fulfill their caring duties on December 25, as they’ve been doing every Christmas - and every other day - for the past 14 years.

It needs a special kind of person to work for and volunteer in palliative care as it can take an emotional toll - especially at this time of year.

The charity’s secretary Chris Rodley (below) recalls one patient who had been renting one of the charity’s specially adapted hospital beds for almost a year, and so at Christmas that year he went around to tell the ill woman’s husband they could keep it. But that day he found out she had died. “Why do I do it? I often ask myself that question, dealing with the public and well meaning volunteers can be a strain, then I meet or talk to the family of a patient we see or hear how we have helped them and it all seems

worthwhile,” he says. “And I am retired so what else would I do?”

Rodley said he raised money for charities in the UK, before he moved to Spain and was always looking for a reason to give back to the community.

“My parents were very charity-minded, so it seems to be in the blood as it is with all the people who work in charities.

“I think we are a breed of people who want to help others.”

The charity, based on the Costa Blanca,

GIVING A HELPING HAND

IF you live in the Torrevieja area, then it is highly likely that you will have come across over 20 collection points in shops and bars for the Helping Hand Food Bank charity

It provides food, clothing and essential hygiene goods to local needy families.

The presents are then distributed, along with food and toiletries, on four delivery days leading up to Christmas, with this Thursday and Monday seeing the whole process concluded. Organiser Fiona Gallagher set up Helping Hand from small roots.

Cristina Hodgson cristina@theolivepress.es

Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es

Unsurprisingly, things get even busier over the Christmas season, as they guarantee to send a bigger food parcel along with top quality toiletries and washing materials.

That's been boosted by massive donations of presents for children with special lists of names and ages compiled to ensure the youngsters get the right kind of gift.

“This all started off from helping a family which opened my eyes to the hundreds that were sadly affected by the pandemic, “ she said.

“We also work alongside a wonderful association in Torrevieja to ensure that anything that is not used will go to over 600 struggling people,“ Fiona added.

The run up to Christmas has been ambitious with

the charity publishing an extensive wish list of items that they wanted 500 each of.

That included tinned tomatoes, biscuits, and cereals through to baby milk and fruit juices for children.

Helping Hand has received donations from local businesses in addition to cash and cheques from individuals.

Their headquarters are on Avenida Deva 315, El Chapparal, Torrevieja, 03184 and are open to receive items on Tuesday and Friday between 10.00 am and 1.00 pm.

Call on (+34) 611 692 846

hospice care nursing available in her party of Spain.

“When patients get to the terminal illness stage hospitals discharge them and if they’re Spanish they’ll have their family to look after them, but if they’re a foreigner they are left completely alone,” Rodley says.

“We have nurses who go around and do weekly checks on patients at their homes and get them whatever they need, wherever they need it, we are there for them.”

The charity helps the patient right from when they are discharged from hospital, providing transport to their home.

From there, the charity then offers support, information and medical expertise, with nurses available to care for terminal prognosis patients in their own home.

Expat Jennifer, from London, who came up with the idea, spent the final six months with her dying son Paul in a Sue Ryder hospice in Bedfordshire. She returned to Spain and realising there was no similar service on the Costa Blanca, she decided to launch the charity in 2008, in her son’s memory.

“The hospice had taken such exceptional care of my son but on my return I looked around to see what would happen if someone was in the same circumstance here in Spain and discovered that there really wasn’t anything similar,” she explains.

“People were sent home to die to be cared for by their family, but what if that wasn’t possible?

“I decided I needed to change that and now 14 years later, I know we’ve made a difference.”

About 95% of the charity’s funds come from donations.

With the festive season on us, the Olive Press launches a general appeal for three charities close to home desperately in need of funds to continue their vital work through 2023

was the vision of Jennifer Cunningham who on her return to Spain after losing her son Paul to spinal cancer at age 33 was shocked to learn that there was no

But if they’re a foreigner they are left completely alone

angels

LIFELINE

AGE in Spain was the first national charity in Spain dedicated to the welfare of English-speaking pensioners.

It aims to empower older people to lead fuller lives in their adopted country, providing support and access to services to meet people’s changing needs and circumstances.

The charity helps people to help themselves, integrate into local society and to access available support if needed.

It relies on a network of volunteers throughout the mainland, the Canary Islands, and the Balearic Islands, and has been providing support and services to older people since the 1980s.

Age in Spain also helps UK armed forces veterans and their families in Spain on behalf of the Soldiers Charity, Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

As the charity explains: “Some people need extra help - people who face barriers to self help through health or other incapacity issues, lack of experience with using the internet or not actually having access to a mobile phone or computer to manage their affairs, caring responsibilities, financial or language problems.

“Whilst these issues might affect some older people, they are not age specific, so our support service is for everyone. Getting things right when you are younger helps to ensure that later life is as well planned as possible.”

Although the charity does get some grant help, it relies largely on donations. To donate or for more information visit www.ageinspain.org or phone +34 932 20 97 41

UNCLE’s Napoleon --(4)

Kind of potato (5)

Get to know (5)

Set of changes (4)

Prescribed amount (4)

Former Egyptian President --- Mubarak (5)

Prepares for publication (5)

Potential measure (4)

Observed (4)

Accordance with the rules (8)

Gazes fixedly (6)

Free from liability (6)

Ice house (5)

Soft toy (3,4)

Exclamation of surprise (3)

Joy (9)

Land between Honolulu and Sydney (5)

Turning green? (7)

Tub additives blast hats off (4,5)

Rudimentary component (7)

Communicate (7)

Hidden (5)

Abate (3,2)

“Turn to the right!” (3)

DONORS:

at various shops, while (left) Paul Cunningham

To support Paul Cunningham Nurses Charity providing end of life care for patients in need, you can donate at paulcunninghamnurses.com/helping-us

Hydrogen deal

Massive pipeline pact to decarbonise industry agreed by Spain, Portugal and France

THE leaders of Spain, Portugal, and France have agreed on a €2.5 billion plan for a green hydrogen pipeline that should become operational by 2030.

The deal was struck in Alicante with Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, saying the new corridor would carry 10% of all hydrogen consumed within the EU.

The use of green hydrogen is said to be crucial for decarbonising industries that are difficult to electrify like steel and cement production.

Pipelines would carry renewable hydrogen from Portugal to Zaragoza and then from Barcelona to Marseille.

The network was to have carried natural gas but will now be exclusively used for green hydrogen.

The EU has made hydrogen the cornerstone of its strategy to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 with the share of hydrogen in the block’s energy mix predicted to reach 20% by the middle of the century.

Sanchez said that EU funds could cover half of the cost of the massive infrastructure project.

French President, Emmanuel Macron, confirmed that the

Port goes green

THE Costa del Sol’s Puerto Banus, is joining six other Spanish ports in applying a technology to preserve marine ecosystems. It will become the first Andalucian port to use the innovative technology.

The regeneration system allows the revitalisation and recycling of marine infrastructure and damaged environments.

The BioBoosting System (BBS) makes it possible to mimic nature and recover marine ecosystems. So far 10 structures have been built to provide a haven for coral and other marine life.

By Alex Trelinski

three countries will submit the project to the European Commission which has a deadline of December 15 to have it declared as a ‘project of common interest’ to get EU cash.

Iberian Peninsula because

we aren’t going to be energy importers; we’ll be producers and exporters to the rest of Europe,” said Portugal’s Prime Minister, Antonio Costa.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the H2MED project is ‘going in the right direction’ as it ‘has the potential to help us build a real European hydrogen backbone’.

THERE is an old Chinese proverb that states: “The best kind of tree is one that was planted 20 years ago.”

This makes sense, certainly when we look at the environmental impact.

Trees really do count.

A mature tree can absorb 21kg a year of CO2, which is a major contributor to global warming.

CROAKIN’ IT

FROGS are going extinct in Spain due to the ravages of global warming and a pandemic of deadly amphibian-killing viruses. New research shows that the number of green croakers on the Iberian peninsula has declined by as much as a third in the past five years alone.

The collapse was linked to the loss of Spanish wetlands where they made their homes, and polluted rivers which infected their natural habits.

But the underlying killer of our amphibian amigos is a multi-headed Hydra of viruses known as ranaviruses, which have been introduced by human behaviour through pathogens (fungi and viruses) and their spread has accelerated by global warming.

New EU regulations welcome but much more needs to be done

Trees count!

This is not breaking news - the removal of trees through logging or fires has been highlighted as one of the main factors behind nature loss and environmental harm for decades.

Yet, still it continues.

The United Nations says that 420 million hectares (one billion acres) of forest have been lost since 1990.

Despite repeated promises from the world’s politicians, inadequate progress has been made.

The countries that continue to ignore international directives are:

● Brazil

● Indonesia

● DR Congo

● Bolivia

According to the National Space Research Institute, deforestation increased by a massive 22% last year.

Much of this is through illegal activity. Surely there must be a workable solution here.

The Romans watched Rome burn - we shouldn’t be watching planet Earth self-destruct.

As always, things agreed at an international level are not enacted by national governments.

THE EU TAKES BABY STEPS

The European Union plans to ban goods linked to the destruction of trees.

New rules will cover goods imported into the EU including palm oil, cattle, soy, coffee, cocoa, timber and rubber.

This also encompasses goods derived from these products.

Companies selling these products will have to prove their goods are not linked to deforestation.

It affects a lot - the coffee we drink, the chocolate we eat, the charcoal in our barbecues and the paper in our books, for example.

Maybe, just maybe it could be a major breakthrough for our forests.

We have to stand firm on this and ignore the inevitable moaning that will come from countries which will see this as a disadvantage to their economies.

Surprisingly, the first country to whinge has been Canada which has said these new regulations will be ‘burdensome’ and potentially damage trade between Canada and the EU.

Much better to damage trade than fuel global warming me thinks!!

Martin Tye is the owner of energy switch company Mariposa Energy.

martin@mariposaenergia.es

“This changes the trend for the

Green Matters By Martin Tye

VALUABLE: Ancient trees

LEADERS: Reached agreement

2022-2023

All about

Sierra Nevada

WINTER WONDERLAND

IT was two decades ago that I looked out from a hillside near Ronda and spotted the distant snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada over 150 kilometres away.

Like a giant white magnet I was immediately pulled in, seduced by the thrills of winter sports, right here on our doorstep.

None of the hassle of flying to Geneva and a four-hour coach trip, or braving the big freeze in Glencoe, in Scotland, most of us on the costas are under a threehour drive to the winter wonderland of the Sierra Nevada.

While entirely possible to do in a day trip from the Costa del Sol, take it from me you are missing out half of the fun if you don’t stay at least one night.

This is rightly dubbed ‘southern Europe’s top skiing resort’ and naturally - it being Spain - with it comes the usual dollop

of fun and excellent culinary fare, not to mention usually clement weather.

Something of a rite of passage since a school trip to the Alps as a teenager, my itchy feet to strap on skis get more and more apparent as the month of December inches closer to Christmas.

By mid-December the first heavy snows of the year have normally fallen and the slopes are usually warm during the day and with a fair few regulars actually skiing in t-shirts.

Yes, while most winter sports fanatics will be shivering in the Alps at Christmas or struggling to see through fog in the Pyrenees, visitors to the Sierra Nevada will be sinking canas in the sunshine… and best of all at little over €2 a throw (or well under half the price of the Alps).

“This is the nicest place in the world to ski,” explains Luis Casanove, of Telemark ski school, who has been wintering here for 35 years. “We offer the best weather and the prices have hardly gone up in years.”

And if you’re looking for something else to do en route, the magical architecture of Spain’s most visited monument, the Alhambra, is just 30 minutes away, while the fascinating region of the Alpujarras is the other side of the mountain.

The well worn claim of being able to ‘ski in the morning, sunbathe in the afternoon’ is perfectly possible… but that’s not for me. I like getting up there for a few nights, enjoying the mountain scenery, food and fresh air, plus of course a bit of mountain sport.

One of the real joys though is seeing the snowy peaks first appear on the skyline and then loom in front as you drive from

around Spain (or fly to Malaga, Granada or Gibraltar).

The snow-capped peaks of Veleta and Mulhacen (mainland Spain’s highest mountain) can be seen for miles around and winding up the steep, scenic road to the top is as exhilarating as any drive in Spain, particularly on the sharp curves with steep drops.

Run by an offshoot of the Junta de Andalucia, Cetursa has upped its game considerably in recent years, getting increasingly automated in both parking and buying the ski passes (forfeits).

It’s easy to park right under the two main ski-lifts to the top and it costs around 20 euros a day.

Most places to rent skis and boots, or snowboards, can be found within 200m of the car park.

Slopes-wide, new pistes are added most years, while the latest version of snow cannons have been installed guaranteeing snow until, normally, early May.

The season often kicks off in late November, but is normally getting properly going by the ‘puente’ weekend of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.

While this year the snow has arrived late, frequently 40,000 skiers can rock up around this time, so better to come a week later.

There will be up to 110 kms of pistes open at the peak, including the amazing Laguna valley, for expert skiers, where the Netflix series about the infamous 1972 plane crash in the Andes was filmed earlier this year (see Page 6) For snowboarders or jump-lovers make your way to Superpark Sulayr, in the Loma de Dilar area, Europe’s largest freestyle park, with its giant 165 metre ‘half pipe’.

And then there is the famous ‘Rio’ run that leads right down to the resort of Pradollano, which sits at 2,100 metres.

Cyprus

The geography of the area is simply staggering given it is on the same latitude as Cyprus and just 30 miles from the beaches of the Costa del Sol.

Getting so much snow here is all to do with its altitude, which goes up to a staggering 3,482 metres (11,423 feet) above

sea level.

Its highest peak, Mulhacen, is named after Moorish king Muley Hacen (Abdul Hassan Ali), who is said to have been buried at

the top.

The views from the highest ski lift, at 3,300 metres, are among the best in Europe, with the views across the Mediterranean to the Rif mountains of Morocco making the ocean look like a small pond. From here, decent skiers access the amazing runs of the Laguna de las Yeguas valley, including the celebrated Olympic run with its many twists and turns.

The sheer nature and landscape here is stunning and you will sometimes find yourself skiing alone here midweek if you time your trip well.

It definitely pays to pick your days with Easter and Christmas frequently saturat-

APRES SKI: Chilling in the resort

The Sierra Nevada is the true icing on the cake of living in southern Spain, writes Jon Clarke

SURPRISES: View approaching slopes while (right) a dog goes for a slide

Photos by Jon Clarke

ed with queues for the lifts, although Christmas Day can often be relatively quiet, while on the day of the Reyes (January 6), almost all of the Spanish will be at home opening presents.

Don’t forget to try and avoid Semana Blanca (literally ‘white week’) – or half term at the end of February – when school children learn to ski, and, of course, bank holidays can also be very busy. The main tip is to go up early at 8am to 9am before the Spanish get going or waiting till midday.

Apres-ski

While a modern resort, the main base at Pradollano is a nice spot to take in the air or a spot of lunch, and there are things for the kids to do, with entertainers and Disney figures wandering around, particularly

around Christmas.

The Sierra Nevada has also got a reputation as being fun, with the apres ski being some of the best in Europe, once you know where to find it (tip: it’s mostly uphill).

The resort started to develop rapidly from 1995 with the World Skiing Championship. “Since then the infrastructure changes were huge and it is now a big resort,” explains resort marketing boss Santiago Sevilla, who has worked there for nearly two decades.

The ticket office in Plaza Andalucia is fully digital and now has dozens of machines installed for credit cars and phone payments. A day’s skiing costs €33 to €57 at peak time, but normally about €45, while those in their 70s get free passes.

Peak of good dining

APIPING hot raclette, a burger and chips and a few tasty tapas used to be the basic offering in the Sierra Nevada two decades ago. Today a Moroccan Harira soup, ramen and gyozas or a spicy red tuna burrito are more likely to be on the menu for your evening’s grazing. Just as the quality of food has gone up around Spain over recent times, the same has happened in the country’s most famous ski resort.

One of the trailblazers in this improvement is former snowboard pro Stevie Silva, who swapped his board for a set of sharp knives, over a decade ago now. A man never content on standing still (and with three restaurants in Pradollano these days), his main joint Ci Vediamo is still hard to beat.

While he dubs it ‘rebel food’ and there is plenty of creativity here, the truth is you are just as likely to eat a simple soft crab tempura or a superb bowl of pasta. What he guarantees is quality and always a few nice twists. This year I loved his deep-fried ‘parcels’ of egg, bacon and leeks (below) that melted in the mouth in one bite, while an amazing

spaghetti of giant crayfish with pecorino cheese was unbeatable after a hard morning on the slopes.

“I arrange it so all the juices flow from the head and claws into the dish,” he explains, as he personally shaved the pecorino on top.

“It really adds to the flavour”.

A tight ship run by Stevie and his Maitre’d girlfriend Luna, their wanderlust takes them around the world in summer time (to the Far East and around Europe) tasting new dishes.

One of the best places to try their current favourites is their new joint, Makalu, named after the fifth highest mountain in the world, bordering China and Nepal.

This hip spot feels like a Shoreditch pop-up, literally carved out of a wall in the heart of the resort.

Set up by Stevie and three partners, it is focusing on ‘fusion cooking’, a mix of Asiatic, Basque and European dishes, around 12 in total. “We’ve got stuff like Ramen, some cuchara (literally spoon) dishes and

an amazing Spanish tortilla with white truffle,” adds Stevie.

His other Japanese restaurant, Shimbuya , now in its fourth year, goes from strength to strength, adding a new chef, who’s ‘spent 25 years making sushi, many years in Japan’.

A bit further up the hill it is well worth seeking out and expect some delicious gyozas, noodles and a cool vibe.

My top tip, go for the California Roll with a king prawn, salmon and sesame seeds.

Another couple really focussing on creative food are Nestor and Sonia, who have just opened their first restaurant, Confusion , in Pradollano after running holiday apartments for five years.

You can tell it’s going to be different from the floral decor outside, while inside it has a sense of Alice in Wonderland , thanks to the creative interior design skills of artist Sonia.

Luckily, the food is able to match and, while just finding its feet, it has a real international team in

CREATIVE: Stevie at Ci Vediamo

The quality of food in the Sierra Nevada is going up as rapidly as the resort, writes Jon Clarke

the kitchen coming up with some great ideas.

There are lots of vegetarian options, which is rare for skiing resorts, and a great section of sharing dishes, salads and soups.

I really liked their Harira soup, from the Rif mountains, a rich broth of chickpeas, lamb, harina and apricots, among other ingredients.

The tostada section was also enticing, with a lovely avocado and anchovy number, with watercress and cherry tomatoes from the couple’s own huerta (vegetable garden).

Easily the most established restaurant in the Sierra Nevada is Tito Luigi , run by two long term pals Luis and Xavi, whose brother runs Tia Maria cafe just off the slopes.

They can claim at least two kings of Spain eating here and the walls pay tribute to their esteemed clientele, including various international film stars, bullfighters and politicians.

An absolute must for any stay in the resort, in partic -

ular to see it in action (it can serve up to 250 people in one sitting), so make sure you book in high season. Expect some of the best pizzas in the resort, generally splendid Italian fare, while a stand out dish is easily the squid-ink spaghetti with prawns.

Looking for something a bit more creative and informal, the pair also run the hipper joint Tito Tapas a few doors up, while a third restaurant is up in the middle of the resort.

Guaranteed to be full every night, the wines by the glass are excellent and the tapas change regularly.

If meat is your thing make sure to try out La Muralla , run by Argentinian Gonzalo Funes, whose steaks sit pride of place in the window and are among the best in the resort.

The ‘tostas’ are also great and come in various guises, while I loved the milhoja of foie gras and a courgette carpaccio with fig sauce and the melt-in-the-mouth bulls cheek is also stunning.

Festive fun

He and his brother Luciano also run Muralla Burger , almost next door, which specialises in the best quality burgers on the slopes.

It’s hard to disagree trying his ‘gourmet’ burger, which is actually made from oxtail ‘ rabo de toro ’ with a thin slice of cheese and mayonnaise and cooked in its own juice.

The pair also run popular Las Gondalas just off the slopes and excellent for some apres ski light bites, a hot drink or a beer.

Fancy Mexican? Then you are now spoilt for choice in Pradollano.

Somewhere really worth checking out is Canalla a brand new place set up by Raul, fresh from six years living in London and with a really good sense of taste.

A good use of space with an excellent terrace just below the Kenia Nevada hotel, the staff are dressed in utilitarian boiler outfits and music is distinctly London grime.

I loved the decent list of tacos and burritos, an amazing ribs taco coming out steaming and delicious sweet sauce.

Atmosphere

Nearby, is Calambrito , a lovely space, with an equally good mix of Mexican favourites. I particularly liked the tacos, while the staff were really attentive.

Another place focussing just on burgers, La Calle , opened up last season.

The resort is one of the most festive places to be in Spain, and the Spaniards know it, as they arrive in their droves for Christmas and New Year.

‘Nochebuena’ or Christmas eve, when the Spaniards celebrate the festive season with a huge family meal and lashings of turron, is usually a sell out.

Meanwhile ‘nochevieja’, or New Year’s Eve, where massive screens show the countdown in Madrid’s iconic Puerta del Sol, with grapes galore, is a riot. For the eve of the Reyes on Jan 5 the three kings duly arrive on skis. Kids will love it.

Carnival, from February 6-14, also sees a mass arrival for the fancy dress competition and snow-sport contests.

Another great simple joint, but with great home cooked food, is Telesilla Burger first hostals in the 1960s. The historic photos add to the atmosphere, while the heart-warming soul food is always excellent, and includes stews and lentils.

Another excellent place overlooking the slopes is Tia Maria , which has a good mix of dishes and is a great place for breakfast.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND: Designer Sonia and husband Nestor have brought some magic to Confusion

MAGICAL: Three kings trudge up the slopes on January 5

Sierra Nevada

WHERE TO STAY

But would he approve?

the last day of the season.

Next year, the unusual downhill event will start at Borreguiles where participants hand in their clothes to take to the slopes into Pradollano where drinks and hedonism awaits.

Budding nudists often get a discounted ski pass if they sign up to the official page.

However, space is normally limited to 500 people and prizes are given to the best and most outrageous outfits. One regular visitor to the slopes, King Felipe, is not expected to take part. In former years he normally drops in around Christmas time with friends (pictured right).

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 1 Sierra, 5 Hasten, 8 Flagship, 9 Move, 10 Solo, 12 Idaho, 13 Learn, 14 Peal, 16 Dose, 17 Hosni, 18 Edits, 20 Volt, 22 Seen, 23 Legality, 25 Stares, 26 Exempt

Down: 2 Igloo, 3 Rag doll, 4 Aah, 5 Happiness, 6 Samoa, 7 Envious, 11 Bath salts, 15 Element, 16 Divulge, 19 Inner, 21 Let up, 24 Gee

THRILLSEEKERS: Get their kit off every year

Snow dreams

The Sierra Nevada only has a handful of reliable hotels, writes Jon Clarke

IT is hard to describe Pradollano as an authentic mountain village. But, with a metre of snow on the ground and the sun finally out, it certainly has its charms.

There are lots of places to stay but easily one of the most charming has got to be the authentic Hotel Kenia Nevada, which is well located near the centre of town and open most of the year.

Run by the friendly Don Pedro – who used to ski for the country as a youngster - it is

clean, well run and serves up one of the best breakfasts in Spain.

It also has a gym and spa, with an in-house masseur, and plenty of communal ar eas, filled with charming old furniture.

You could also go upmarket and splurge on one of the two wonderful Melia hotels, right in the heart of the resort.

The rooms at the Melia Sierra Nevada have been recently renovated and the New Premium rooms have been built on floors 7 and 8.

A COLLECTION of Sierra Nevada’s bravest and thrill seekers rush down the mountain in swimsuits for

SPLURGE: At luxurious Melia hotel

Wage wars

MEN on average earn 21% more than women in Spain, according to new figures.

Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) conducted a survey where it also found that the number of female employees with the lowest salaries was double that of men.

Men earned an average of €2,276 per month in 2021, while women earned €1,883 per month, or €393 less.

The wage gap widened even further when it came to salaries in the highest-paid jobs.

The data showed one in three men received a high salary compared with one in four women.

Lower salaries were considered to be less than €1,376 - 40.5% of women surveyed received below this amount compared to just 20.2% of men.

Cash delivery

BARCELONA is to become the first Spanish city to implement a so-called ‘Amazon tax’, which will target online sellers as well as postal services whose revenues exceed €1 million a year.

The aim of the levy is to tax these companies for the use of public space by delivery vehicles, as well as to level the playing field for small businesses.

“We want local traders to have equal fiscal conditions compared to the ma-

Untaxed wine con

AN Alicante distillery and warehouse has been raided and 20,231 bottles of wine seized for not having official tax seals. The retail value was €139,000, meaning that €30,000 in tax had not been paid.

It followed a tip off from the Guardia Civil in Barcelona that they had discovered wine without tax-labelling being sold in Catalan outlets.

The Valencian wine was distributed from unnamed premises in the Marina Alta area which were visited by Guardia and Tax Authority officers.

The sheer scale of the fraud led to a second phase of the police operation - namely to detect places selling the bootleg wine. Some 14 establishments were inspected with wine supplied by the warehouse. That included five stores in Benidorm and two in Calpe. It has not been disclosed how many people face charges.

to levy ‘Amazon tax’ to empty streets of vans

By Simon Hunter

jor e-commerce platforms, which have a very high market share,” said Jaume Collboni, economy chief at Barcelona City council.

The plan is likely to be approved at the end of February, and is expected to help empty the city of delivery vans. For example, the tax will not be applied when deliveries are left at collection points rather than being taken to the consumer’s door.

‘This planet cannot allow for a 300 gramme package to be transported to your home in a vehicle that weighs more than a tonne,’ said city councillor Jordi Marti about the plan.

Postal

By focusing on large e-commerce firms and postal services with a high revenue level, the tax will not be applied to self-employed workers who make deliveries, nor small firms.

The idea of the tax was initially recommended by the central government’s finance minister, Maria Jesus Montero.

WHILE it has continued to fluctuate, trade in the pound euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate over the past couple of weeks has been more subdued than in recent months, in part likely due to fewer high-impact data releases. During this time, we have seen GBP/EUR trade in a range between €1.16 and €1.15.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?

After ending November on a sour note in response to lacklustre retail and mortgage figures, the pound was able to find its feet again at the start of December.

The GBP/EUR exchange rate was carried to a three-month high on the back of UK economic optimism, after a stronger-than-expected manufacturing PMI helped to buoy hopes for a milder UK recession than previously feared.

This uptick in GBP/EUR was assisted by weakness in the euro after the Eurozone’s consumer price index reported inflation in the bloc cooled more than expected in November.

The following week saw the GBP/EUR exchange rate quickly retreat from its best levels as some hawkish comments from a few European Central Bank (ECB) officials revived demand for the euro.

This uptrend in the single currency was reinforced by some upbeat German industrial data, while the pound was undermined by a cautious market mood.

The euro’s momentum quickly faded again however, following comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he suggested the war in Ukraine could be a ‘long-term process’. Meanwhile, Sterling found its feet again amid an improving market mood and optimism over a UK-US gas deal to help shore up Britain’s energy supply.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR?

Looking ahead, the spotlight will be on both the Bank of England (BoE) and ECB as they

deliver their final interest rate decisions of 2022. The BoE is expected to opt for a 50bps rate hike this month, after a bumper 75bps increase in November.

But with the move largely priced in, the focus is likely to be on the bank’s outlook for 2023. If the BoE hints it may further moderate the pace of future interest rate hikes, the pound could stumble. It’s a similar story for the ECB, with a 50bps hike widely expected the focus turns to the bank’s forward guidance. Will a cautious outlook result in the euro giving ground?

Also of note to GBP investors will be the publication of the UK’s latest jobs report and consumer price index. The CPI release in particular could infuse volatility in the pound. While another uptick in UK inflation will place pressure on the BoE to maintain its rate hikes, it will also raise cost-of-living concerns.

Meanwhile the Eurozone’s latest PMI releases could undermine the euro if December’s preliminary releases report another contraction in private sector activity.

PROTECTING AGAINST VOLATILITY

Currency market volatility can cause some nasty surprises if you need to transfer money overseas. On a £200,000 transfer, that three-cent gap between €1.16 and €1.15 translates to a €2,000 difference. And the larger the sum, the higher the discrepancy. Fortunately, there are ways that you can protect against volatility. Specialist currency brokers, such as Currencies Direct, offer different tools to help you navigate the ups and downs of the currency market.

For instance, you can use a forward contract to secure an exchange rate for up to a year. This way, you won’t lose out if the market moves against you.

Services like rate alerts and daily upDecember 15th - January 12th 2023s make it easy to keep track of what’s going on in the forex world so that you can make informed decisions. And with Currencies Direct you’ll have a dedicated account manager there to provide guidance and support whenever you need them.

At Currencies Direct we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news or how it could impact your currency transfers.

Since 1996 we’ve helped more than 325,000 customers with their currency transfers, just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more.

Barcelona

Gender agenda

NEW rules have been brought in meaning Christmas ads can not target girls with the colour pink and boys with blue to avoid ‘gender stereotyping’ of children.

Stamp up!

A BID by right wing parties to ban a stamp celebrating the centenary of Spain’s Communist Party has been turned down by a judge and sales have boomed with an extended print run ordered.

Bad cop

A GUARDIA Civil officer in Almeria has been stripped of his job and jailed for four years after issuing unfair fines against a neighbour he did not like, going as far as falsifying documents.

THAT’S RUFF

WE’VE all used the ‘my dog ate my homework’ excuse before.

But Brit Nicholas Hyde never thought he’d need to pull that old chestnut out in front of border authorities as he pleaded with them to be allowed to board a flight back to the UK.

And what was even more absurd, it wasn’t an excuse. His dog - a four-year-old Beagle called Simba (pictured) - actually had mauled his pass-

port right before he was due to fly back to London from Valencia on Sunday.

His concerned mother Antonia Hyde posted an urgent plea for help online seeking advice.

“Help! My son is stuck at Valencia Airport. His dog ate his passport! He has his NIE but they won’t let him fly to

IN a twist to the David v Goliath case, Goliath has won!

A tiny burger and pizza joint in Cadiz has changed its name after global giants McDonald’s got on their case saying the Menoc Donald moniker of the fast-food restaurant was too similar.

So, after 34 years, the restaurant has changed its name to Menoc

Gatwick,” she explained. Speaking exclusively to the Olive Press Nicholas described the entire situation as ‘surreal’. “He just devoured it, the bottom corner of the passport with the identification number

Silly burgers

Burger instead. “We received a burofax asking us in a friendly way to change the name. Obviously, we got down to work because we knew that we had everything to lose if we didn’t”, explained owner Jose Antonio Calvo.

was destroyed,” the 23-yearold said.

He pleaded with the airline which contacted immigration at Gatwick airport with a photo of the mauled passport - but that was also to no avail.

His only option was to apply for an ‘emergency passport’ at the British consulate in Barcelona.

Train

In just a few hours he had an appointment time confirmed, so he booked a train to the Catalunyan capital, picked up the document on Tuesday and flew to Gatwick that evening.

On a wing and a prayer

SPAIN’s very own ‘bird man’ pulled off an astonishing feat when he flew under the famous arch bridge of Ronda at 300km per hour.

Daredevil Daniel Roman leapt out of a paramotor in the cool December sky in a wingsuit from several thousand metres up and prepared to take aim at the barely ten-metre gap under Ronda’s imposing Tajo bridge.

Coming in at a third of the speed of sound, any miscalculation would have spelt a messy end to the elite jumper.

Having burst through the central arch and cleared the cliffs. Roman pulled the cord on his parachute and the ‘bird man’ gently descended to land.

We’re back in print on Jan 12, but online every day at www.theolivepress.es

A Brit was left stranded at the airport after a dog chewed his passport

EXCLUSIVE

By Anthony Piovesan